Muses, Invisibilty, and Radish Earrings
by audi katia
Summary: Being ignored suits Luna, but that does not mean she enjoys it...Neville Longbottom does not need a cape to be invisible...For a brief second, Luna thought she would love him, if he was not so popular. :::set after Final Battle, slight LN and LH:::


Luna is thoughtful as she looks around the Great Hall. Everyone is celebrating, but she wonders how many of them will cry when they finally go home. What sort of tears will they shed? For how many days will they cry? How long will it take them to stop crying on the inside? She has a feeling that those who are celebrating the most now are the ones that will cry the hardest.

Idly walking through the crowd, Luna sees acquaintances from school. Friends, maybe. Perhaps she can call some of them friends. Dean Thomas is sitting with his mother and sisters, but that does not stop him from greeting her. She does not care to blink as she watches his slim form half rise out of the chair.

On his face she can read excitement that she is alive. She smiles as she also sees guilt. He does not want to leave his family and Luna thinks this is a most admirable trait. To keep him from making a decision, she excuses herself from his gaze.

As she continues her stroll, people call out to her. She can feel hands on her back, and her name ringing out. Inwardly, she cheers. It is always so nice when people remember your name.

Oh, there is Draco Malfoy. He looks most nervous, and Luna wonders why. Everyone here tonight is too busy to think of anyone but themselves. Why should anyone care if he and his family are here? For a moment, Luna toys with the idea of sitting with Draco Malfoy. But then she remembers how he used to call her Loony and she decides to leave him with his parents.

Still, Luna is glad that he could join the rest because she thinks everyone should attend as many major celebrations as they can. Daddy always says that a celebration every year will lengthen your life by six weeks. A lot can happen in six weeks and Luna does not want to miss out.

Speaking of Daddy, Luna really wants to find him. While in prison, she thought of Glornacks. Eagerly, she thinks it would be wise to vacation to Bangladesh, which is, as everyone knows, where the Glornacks mate at this time of year. She knows Daddy will be most interested in them.

While on their travel, she can tell him all about prison. It really was not that bad, she muses. Mister Ollivander was a lovely companion, and Luna did not mind the dark so much. Her only wish is that she did not scare Daddy too badly while she was away. Luna hopes that Daddy will be proud of her. Perhaps he will tell her as they take notes on the Glornacks this summer.

She starts to make her way towards the doors in order to return to her father, but then she stops. Harry Potter is looking forlorn and she realizes that he wants to be alone. As she walks towards him, she can feel something jumping in her stomach. Luna knows blibbering humdingers must be hanging invisible in the air. Those little pests could be quite tricksters.

Once her presence is known, Luna comments to Harry Potter that she understands how he feels. In fact, Luna thinks that she understands him better than nearly anyone else. She offers him an escape and he agrees to take it. Harry Potter, Luna notices, often takes the first option available to him. She wonders if this is a positive or negative trait. Even so, she made an offer and Harry Potter wanted results.

So for the first time in her life, she lies about what she can see. She points dramatically at the window, and creates a distraction for Harry Potter. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watches him vanish. Really, invisibility cloaks were quite fascinating. Here was her proof that something could exist without it being seen.

Luna does not want an invisibility cloak of her own, though. People did not want to bother her as much when she wears her radish earrings. Being ignored suits Luna, but that does not mean she enjoys it.

All thoughts of finding her father exit her mind as she sees Neville Longbottom sitting with his grandmother. They are talking in low voices that seem to be laced with care. This is the best sort of care, in Luna's eyes. It is tender and unafraid of being seen. How very like Neville Longbottom grew to be, she ponders. He was a good friend while she had still been in school. Later, she will tell him as much, but right now she can read his face and knows that he wants to be left alone with his family.

Luna thinks to herself that this is one reason why she prefers Neville Longbottom over Harry Potter. Neville Longbottom does not need a cape to be invisible.

Keeping her gaze from staying in one spot for too long, Luna moves her eyes around in her head. Her mother always told her it was good to exercise her eyes. It keeps vision sharp. While rolling her eyes, she watches Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger rise from their seats and Luna knows that Harry Potter now has their attention. They leave their table full of red-heads. Luna watches Ginny Weasley's tears fall onto Molly Weasley's shoulder. Maybe tomorrow, Luna will visit the Weasleys and tell them that they will see Fred Weasley again someday. It will cheer them up, but only if they let it.

Still, Luna knows that they need time to mourn and she will not take that away from them. So Luna does not stop to talk to the Weasleys as she follows Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger out of the Great Hall. They are far ahead of her by now, but she is only using them as temporary guides.

Once out in the hallway, Luna sees all the damage that was done. Blood covers stone, and everything is broken. Eventually, this will all be fixed, she knows. There is no point in worrying about something that can be easily ramified. Who better to start the re-building than her?

The jewels that filled the hourglasses meant for house points are scattered about the floor. Luna uses her new wand to gather them up and place them in their respective hourglasses. Before she seals the glass, she places one of each color in each figurine. The Sorting Hat talked much about school unity, so perhaps it is worth a try.

Luna steps back to admire her work and is glad that she did not have to use any Spellotape. Smiling slightly to herself, Luna puts more sapphires into the top part of the Ravenclaw hourglass. That way, if they still decide to do the House Cup ceremony, the Ravenclaws will win. That might be nice.

There is a noise of footsteps behind her and Luna looks around. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are walking back to enter the Great Hall. Luna is excited to see Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger holding hands. Part of her wants to ask if the Klemunchins that live in the school walls finally got a hold of their brains and made them realize their feelings. But a larger part of her located closer to her heart makes her stop. She really does not like Ron Weasley laughing at her.

Luna does not call attention to herself as they all walk by her. The three of them seem to be having a conversation that does not involve words, but motions and gestures. It would be rude to interrupt.

But then, Hermione Granger looks back at Luna. Luna gives her biggest smile and watches Hermione Granger blink in surprise, but still she smiles back. Luna knows that Hermione Granger is wondering how anyone could have a true smile when there are blood stains on the wall next to them. Really, Luna thinks Hermione Granger is a dear girl, but she needs to looks less with her eyes.

The Trio turns the corner, and Luna is happy to note that Harry Potter does not put his cloak back on. She feels that this is most symbolic.

Silver eyes fix on Harry Potter as he makes his way over towards Ginny Weasley. Luna does not feel jealous as she watches Harry Potter hug Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley is a very nice girl, and she deserves a hero.

Yes, Harry Potter is a hero. Luna knows that Harry Potter has done countless heroic things. He made Daddy's magazine more popular. He offered to help her find her lost items in her fourth year. He did not laugh at her multi-colored glasses. He took her to a Slug Club party. He smiled voluntarily at her.

Oh, yes. And Harry Potter saved the Wizarding World.

For a brief second, Luna thought she would love him, if he was not so popular.

* * *

There you have it.

This was a particularly difficult story to title and summarize. It was hard to summarize everything found in this story, but I think that it worked out alright.

Luna was interesting to write. I tried to portray her as she appears in the books: calm and accepting. This story, while not possessing the most complex vocabulary or the most philosophical thoughts, seems to me to be how Luna would actually feel and react.


End file.
